Venetian blind



July 14, 1953 J. C. GRAU 2,645,282

. v BLIND Filed'June 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JAIME $010MGPAU J. c. GRAU VENETIAN BLIND July 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June21, 1951 w R 0 Q V E 4 Z a W m 6 m2 .O O\ A ww Q M Q F M1 1: v 15 3 M aATTOEA/EYS' Patented July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE vnivr z'flfifi iinmn Jaime Colom Grau, Tarrasa, Spain Application June 21,1951, Serial No. 232,729

3 Claims. (c1. 160-133) This invention relates to Venetian blindconstruction.

In applicants copending application Serial No. 182,734, filed September1, 1950, there was described a Venetian blind designed to be rolled upin a head box above the window and to accomplish which special platesjoining the slats for vertical separation and pivoting were provided.There was also described in the aforesaid appli-- cation a water guard.Subsequently it was found that by incorporating areciprocal lock for theslats of the blind and a cam adjusting mechanism for rotating the slatsfrom the vertical or closed position to a horizontal or open positionand even intermediate positions, the blind would render an even greaterservice. The reciprocal locking mechanism and cam adjusting mechanismare the subject matter of subject application.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a more substantialVenetian blind than heretofore known.

Another object is to provide a Venetian blind the slats of which whenclosed form a substantial closure for the opening but which also can berotated or pivoted between the limits of a vertically closed position toa horizontal open position by merely reciprocating the blind slightly.

Other objects of the instant invention will become apparent in thecourse of the following specification.

In the attainment of these objectives, the opening which the Venetianblind is designed to cover is provided with a channel on each side forthe full vertical height thereof. The channels are formed with spacedparallel inner and outer strips with the outer strip extended furtherinto the opening than the inner strip. The blind is constituted of anupper and'a lower guide slidable in the channels and a plurality ofslats vertically and pivotally adjustable intermediate the upper andlower guides. The corresponding longitudinal edges of the guides andslats are equipped with tongues and grooves to form a substantialclosure when the slats are pivoted into a vertical plane substantiallyparallel to the plane of the guides. At the bottom of each channel is areciprocal lock coacting with the slats, the tongue or bolt of the lockbeing automatically moved to the locked and unlocked positions of theslats in the vertical position by reciprocating the blind,

A cam adjustment mechanism for controlling the pivotal position of theslats intermediate the closed vertical and open horizontal positions isdisposed in the bottom guide and is actuated by the reciprocal nwvsm ntoi the blind.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsshowing by way of illustration a preferred embodimentof the inventiveconcept.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a Venetian blind with the slatsin the vertical and closed position; 7

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the blind shown in Figure l but on anenlarged scale;

Figure 3 is an end View of the blind shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the slats and guidesvertically separated;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the cam adjustment mechanism forpivoting the slats from'a vertically separated position to a horizontalor open position orintermediate positions and constructed according tothe principles of this invention, the position of the cams being shownin the vertically separated position of the slats;

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of a plate or cam in the camadjustment mechanism shown in Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a detail perspective view of another of the cams or platesin the cam adjustment mechanism shown in Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view of still another of the cams orplates in the cam adjustment mechanism shown in Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 5 but showing theposition of the cams or plates when the slats have been pivoted. to thefully opened horizontal position;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the cam adjustment mechanism shown in Figure5; V

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the channels inthe sides of the opening for the slidable insertion of the blind;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the slot lockingmechanism in each channel with the tongue or bolt retracted to theunlocked position of the slats;

Figure 13 is a front elevational view of the slat locking mechanismshown in Figure 12; and

Figure 14 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 12 but with the tongueor bolt extended to the locked position of the slats.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings where like referencenumerals indicate like parts, reference numeral l0 indicatesva Venetianblind, H (Figs. 11 and 13) one of the two vertical channels for theslidable insertion of the blind in an opening, I2 the lockingmechanismfor locking the slats in the closed vertical posiupper guide l5, and theintermediate slats l6.

The corresponding edges of the guides and slats are provided withcoacting tongues and grooves so that when in the vertical position withthe tongues and grooves'in operable engagement un der gravity theVenetian blind will form a more substantial closure than the knownVenetian blind or even a sash. Because of the tongue and grooveprovision, it becomes necessary to make each slat and the guidesvertically adjustable in order to pivot the .slats from the verticalclosed to the horizontal open position. The upper and lower guides arevertically adjustable or separable from the contiguous slats but are notpivotal-in the channels. As illustrated and described in' the copendingapplication, a bottom hinge I9 is attached to each end of the lowerguide l4 with the hasp 21 thereof extended upwardly above the lower edgeof the contiguous slat l6. Asfurther illustratedand described in theaforementioned copending application, the hasp 2 I terminates in earportions 22 which are vertically adjustable in an opening in the hasp ofanother hinge 23 on each end of the contiguous slat. Each hinge 23 ispivotally attached along the upper. edge of the contiguous slat and ismortised in so as not to interfere with the complete closure of theslats in the vertical position. From the pivotal connection, the hasp ofeach hinge 23 extends outwardly and downwardly over the hasp of thecorresponding hinge I9 longitudinally slidable in the 'hasp of the hinge23. Adjacent theoutwardly directed portion of the hasp of each hinge 23that is at the top of the slat; an opening is made for the slidableinsertion of the hasp of a similar hinge on the next contiguous slat. Aslightly modified form of hinge may be used for vertically adjusting andpivotally connecting the uppermost slat to the upper guide so that allthe slats and guides are vertically separable and all the slats arepivotal about the upper edges thereof and about the guides.

As further pointed out in the copending application, a rigid linkagesystem 23 is provided for pivotally rotating the slats from thevertically separated position to an open horizontal position and evenintermediate positions as follows; In each end of each slat at thebottom is a pivot pin 29 fastened therein by any suitable means. Eachpin may be downwardly and outwardly directed or simply outwardlydirected. Connecting each pin 29 of the lowermost slat to the lowerguide is a plate 30 fastened as desired to the lower guide and throughthe upper end of which the pin 29 is rotatably inserted. Another plate3| is thenv attached between the pins of the firstand second lowermostslats. In the bottom of the plate 3| is a slot I I through which the pinof the first lowermost slat is both slidably and rotatably inserted. Theplate 3| at the top also has an opening for the rotatable insertion ofthe pin 29 of the second lowermost slat.

.By the described rigid linkage system connecting the ends of the slats,each slat can be rotated from the vertically separated position to ahorizontal position merely by rotating the P 1 29 of the uppermost slat.

To maintain the blind in the opening with the slats designed to bepivoted from the closed to the open positions, the followingconstruction was described and illustrated in the aforementionedcopending application: On each side of the framedopening a similarvertical channel II is formed. The channel H is constituted of the outerstrip 33 (Fig. 11) spaced-parallel from an inner strip 34 with the outerstrip 33 extending inwardly, that is toward the center of the opening, agreater distance than the inner strip 34. The upper and lower guides l4and I5 of the blind are slidable in the channels but the slats areextended only to the ends of the inner strip in order to pivot theslats.

With the slats and guides of the blind now vertically separable in thechannels, the cam adjustment mechanism l3 for regulating the magnitudeof the pivoting of the slats from the vertically separated position tothe open horizontal and even intermediate positions is as follows: Oneend of a chain l8 (Fig. 1) is pivotally attached to the pivot pin 29 atone end of the uppermost slat and directed upwardly over a pulley 20,which may be attached to the top guide in a known manner, the chainthenbeing directed downwardly to the lower guide I4. Coacting with thefree end of the chain and in the lower guide is the cam adjustment l3constituted as follows: Between a front member 24 (Figs. 5 and 10)spaced parallel by any suitable means from a back member 25 (Fig. 10)are three plates or cams 26, 21, and 32. The plate 26 of arcuate form ispivotally disposed on the back member by the pivot pin 31 in a planeparallel to the plane of the lower guide. The plate 26 is held againstfalling under gravity by a pin 38 disposed in the back member 25 andcoacting with the lower edge of the plate. A pin 43 is also disposed inthe plate 26 adjacent the pin 38. spaced parallel arrangement with theplate 25 is the cam or plate 21 pivotally secured to the pin 31 at oneend and at the opposite end protruding beyond the perimeter of the plate26. In the protruding end of the cam 21 is an inverted L-shaped openingor slot 39. Slidably inserted in the inverted L-shaped slot is a stud 40which is maintained also slidable only in a vertical position by beinginserted also in the vertical slot 4| formed in the front member 24. Onthe cam 2'! is a pin 42 adjacent the other pins as illustrated. Coactingwith the pin 42 and slidable on the cam 21 is the cam or plate 32. Thecam 32 has a central opening 36 of arcuate form, the perimeter 'of whichslides about the pin-42 under gravity when the stud 40 moves the cam 21upwardly. The outer perimeter of the cam 32 is also of arcuate form andcoa-cts with the pin 43 when the stud 40 is moved' upwardly in the slot4| to vary the position of the stud relative to the longitudinal edgesof the lower guide. The free end of the chain [8 is pivotally attachedto the free end of the stud when the stud is at rest in the uppermostposition of the slot 4| and the chain is taut and the'slats in thevertical position but separated.

Since the ends of the slats do not extend completely into the channels,the slats can be locked in the vertical position by adding to the innerstrip 34 of each channel an extension, tongue, or

' bolt 44 reciprocal in each inner strip adjacent the side of the anglemember being spaced parallel from the corresponding side of the outerstrip while the other side of the angle member is turned at an angle of90 thereto along a common edge and fitted around the inner edge of theinner and turned edge and a bracket 48' inwardly directed around theopening. Another bracket 49 is disposed on the tongue and inwardlydirected in the bracket 48. A third bracket 35 is disposed on the innersurface of the bracket 48 and outwardly and thence downwardly directedadjacent the extremity over the bracket 49 on the tongue to providebearings for a shaft 50 rotatably inserted between the inner surface ofthe bracket 48 on the angle iron and the downwardly directed extremityof the bracket 35 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the tongue. Atoothed wheel 5| is keyed to the shaft 50 with the teeth thereofprotruding through an opening in the side of the angle memberadjacent'the inner end of the inner strip and actually a continuation ofthe opening made in the side of the angle member opposed to the outerstrip. The plane of the wheel is parallel to the plane of the tongue. Acam 53 in operable engagement with the bracket 49 on the tongue is keyedto the shaft 56 on the side of the wheel opposite the tongue. Anothercam '52 in operable engagement with the tongue is keyed to the sameshaft but intermediate the tongue and the wheel and in operableengagement with the tongue, the cams being :turned at 90, to each other.At both ends of the lower guide I4 of the blind is a catch 54 (Fig. 4)

in operable engagement with the teeth of the corresponding wheels butonly during the upward movement of the blind.

Assume that the slats I6 are in the vertical position withthe tonguesand grooves separated under gravity, that the lower guide I4 is at thebottom of the frame shown in Figure 12, and

that the retractile or reciprocable tongue 44 is in the retractedposition as shown in Figure 11.-

When it is desired to lock the slats in the vertical position, the lowerguide [4 is moved upwardly whereupon the catch 54 (Fig. 2) will alsomove upwardly into operable engagement with a tooth of the wheel 5 I. Bycontinuing the upward movement of the lower guide l4, the wheel 5| willbe rotated as well as the shaft 50 keyed thereto. As the shaft 50rotates, the cam 52 in operable engagement with the U-shaped tongue 44will force the tongue outwardly to form with the outer strip 33 achannel member in which the slats cannot be pivoted. The lower guide Mcan then be allowed to fall to the bottom of the frame with the slatslocked since the catch 54 is so hinged that it will not actuate thewheel 5| on the downward movement. However, on the next upward movementof the lower guide, the catch 54 again in operable engagement with atooth of the wheel 5|, will revolve the shaft '50 to move the cam 52 outof operable engagement with the U-shaped tongue while the cam 53 will berotated into operable engagement with the bracket 49 on the tongue todraw the tongue inwardly and once again permit the slats to be rotated.

drum 55 may be actuated by a gear drive from a shaft 56 rotatablydisposed in the side of the frame of the opening at the bottom with oneof the links 51 in the side of the opening and concealed. Any suitableand similar means 58 and 59 may be used for attaching the upper guide tothe drum 55. When moved upwardly by the means described or even electricmotor means (not shown), assuming the slats are in the closed verticalposition, the slats and the guides will become vertically separated fromthe tongues and grooves by virtue of the already described verticallyadjustable means for the slats and guides and the vertical adjustableand pivotally connected means of the slats.- With the upward movement ofthe blind, each catch 54 on the lower guide will engage thecorresponding toothed wheel 5] and, assuming the tongue to be in theextended position, that is the locking position of the slats, willrevolve the toothed wheel and the cam coacting with the bracket on thetongue to move or retract the tongue into the inner strip or the channeladjacent the strip to free the slats for pivoting. The chain forpivoting the slats being taut in the starting position of the lowerguide, will tighten and pivot the slats outwardly and pull the stud ofthe cam adjusting mechanism upwardly to pivot the cam 21 upwardly whichwill carry the cam 32 around to permit the stud to fall under gravity toa position lower than the starting position and prevent the slats fromassuming the vertical position. Merely by repeating the reciprocalmovement of the blind that is slightly so as not to actuate the tongueof the lock, the cams will be actuated until the wide open,substantially horizontal position of the slats is attained. Bycontinuing the same steps, the slats can be pivoted to the closedposition. With the slats and guides in the vertical position but spacedapart, the slats and guides will close under gravity. Another upwardmovement of the blind bringing each catch into operable engagement withthe corresponding toothed wheel will pivot the tongue outwardly to lockthe ends of the slats.

. It will be apparent that subject Venetian blind is subject to manyvariations and modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A Venetian blind comprising, in combination, a plurality ofhorizontal slats pivotally adjustable intermediate an upper and a lowerguide, a channel member vertically formed on each side of an openingsubstantially covered by the blind, each channel member being defined byspaced parallel inner and outer strips with the outer strips extendedfurther inwardly than the inner strips, the guides being slidablydisposed in the channel members and the slats at both ends beingadjacent the inner surface of the outer strips and spaced from the innerends of the inner strips, a locking mechanism reciprocal in the innerstrip of at least one channel member for releasably locking the slats inthe vertical position thereof, a catch disposed at one end of the lowerguide coacting with the locking mechanism in the upward movement of thelower guide, and a cam adjustment mechanism disposed on one end of thelower guide and adapted to move the slats intermediate the vertical andhori zontal positions thereof in the unlocked position. 2. A Venetianblind according to claim 1 in which the locking mechanism reciprocal inthe inner strip of at least one channel member for releasably lockingthe slats in the vertical position thereof comprises an angle member oftwo sides, the sides of the angle member being turned along a commonedge and forming an angle of substantially 90 with each other, means forsecuring one side of the angle member to the inner strip of the channelin spaced parallel arrangement with the outer strip, the turned side ofthe angle member being adjacent the inner end of the inner strip, theside of the angle member in spaced parallel arrangement with the outerstrip having an opening formed therein adjacent the turned edge, theopening being continued into the turned side, a U-shaped tonguepivotally disposed on the side of the angle member in spaced parallelarrangement with the outer strip, and means for reciprocating the ton uefrom a' position substantially flush with the end of the inner strip toa position substantially aligned with the inner edge of the outer strip,the means comprising a bracket disposed around the opening formed in theside of the angle memher in spaced parallel arrangement with the outerstrip and rearwardly directed therefrom, a second bracket disposed onthe tongue and extending into the first mentioned bracket, a thirdbracket disposed on the inner surface of the first bracket and forwardlyand thence downwardly directed therefrom adjacent the inner end of thetongue, a shaft rotatably disposed between the first and third mentionedbrackets in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of thetongue, a toothed wheel keyed to the shaft, the teeth of thewheelprotruding through the continuation of the opening in the turned side ofthe angle member, a cam keyed to the shaft on one side of the wheel andadjacent to and in operable engagement with the U-shaped tongue, asecond cam keyed to the shaft on the opposite side of the wheel and inoperable engagement with the second mentioned bracket, the cams beingturned at 90 to each other, and a latch disposed on the lower guide, thelatch being adapted to be brought into operable engagement with theteeth of the wheel in the upward movement of the lower guide.

3. A Venetian blind according to claim 1 in which the cam adjustmentmechanism disposed on one end of the lower guide and adapted to move theslats intermediate the vertical and horizontal positions thereof whenunlocked, comprises a plate of arcuate perimeter, means for 8 pivotallysecuring one end of the plate in the bottom guide in a plane parallel tothe plane thereof, a pin disposed in the bottom guide coacting with thebottom edge of the plate and maintaining the plate stationary undergravity, a second pin disposed on the plate adjacent the first mentionedpin, a second plate of arcuate perimeter spaced from the first mentionedplate and coacting with the second mentioned pin, the second mentionedplate being pivotally disposed around the pivotal means for securing thefirst mentioned plate to the bottom guide, the second mentioned platefurther protruding beyond the corresponding end of the first mentionedplate and having an inverted L-shaped slot formed therein adjacent theupper edge, the horizontal portion of the inverted L-shaped slot beingoutwardly directed, a stud slidably disposed in the slot and extendedinwardly of the bottomguide, means for maintaining the stud verticallyslidable in the bottom guide while moving in the slot, and a third pindisposed on the second mentioned plate adjacent the first and secondmentioned pins; the cam adjustment mechanism further comprising a thirdplate slidably disposed on the second mentioned plate, the thirdmentioned plate having a central opening of arcuate form coacting withthe third mentioned pin and further having an outer perimeter of arcuateform coacting with the second mentioned pin, the inner and outerperimeter of the third mentioned plate coacting with the second andthird mentioned pins to vary the position of the stud relative to thelongitudinal edges of the bottom guide, means for releasably locking theplates together, and flexible means intermediate the inwardly directedend of the stud and the pivotal adjustment means of one of the slats forvarying the magnitude of the pivotal displacement of the slats when thestud is actuated by the upward movementof the blind.

JAIME COLOM GRAU.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 156,644 Martin Nov. 10, 1874 237,864 Hilgen Feb. 15, 18811,071,220 Elefant Aug. 26, 1913 2,323,612 Lombardi et al July 6, 1943

